People who bought this also bought...

Matter of Time: Vol. 1

Jory Keyes leads a normal life as an architect’s assistant until he is witness to a brutal murder. Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won’t give up no matter who is after him. But Jory’s life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw. While dealing with attempts on his life, well-meaning friends who want to see him happy, an overly protective boss, and a slowly unfolding mystery that is much more sinister than he could ever imagine, the young gay man finds himself getting involved with Sam, the conflicted and closeted detective....

All Kinds of Tied Down: Marshals (Book 1)

Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

Smoke & Mirrors: THIRDS, Book 7

Life for Dexter J. Daley has never been easy, but he's always found a way to pick himself back up with a smile on his face. Taken from his home and the arms of Sloane Brodie, his boyfriend and THIRDS partner, Dex finds himself in a situation as mysterious and lethal as the Therian interrogating him. Dex learns what he's secretly believed all along: his parents' death wasn't an accident.

Half Moon Rising

After more than a decade, Troy Bishop is going home to the family he left behind when his parents died. Little does Troy know, he's about to get a lot more than he bargained for. Sawyer Quinton has been waiting for his mate for as long as he can remember and was beginning to think he'd never find him. Until Troy Bishop walked back onto the Reservation. The attraction is immediate for both men, but one is hiding a secret and the other must finally open is heart.

Mad Lizard Mambo: The Kai Gracen Series, Book 2

Licensed Stalkers make their living hunting down monsters and dangerous criminals, and their lives are usually brief, brutal, and thankless. Despite being elfin and cursed with a nearly immortal lifespan, Kai didn't expect to be any different. Then Ryder, the High Lord of the Southern Rise Court, arrived in San Diego, and Kai's not-so-mundane life went from mild mayhem to full-throttle chaos.

The Long Way Home

Ever since the accident that cost him his job on the Seattle police force, Kevin Quinn has been living with psychic abilities he refers to as the 'gift that keeps on taking'. His attempts to use his talents to help the police have been met with limited success. Yet, when teenage boys start going missing from the beach cities of Southern California, Kevin gets on a plane.

Floodgates

Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture - with a past that just might get Tracy killed. Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend's little brother that he's a reliable man, but to do that he'll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be.

Wolfsong

Ox was 23 when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his blood red eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It's been three years since that fateful day and the boy is back. Except now he's a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Acrobat

Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he's not very good at is sticking around afterward. He's a nice guy; he just doesn't feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he's spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn't realize that Michael's mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him. Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner.

Professional Distance: Thorne and Dash, Book 1

Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for. Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He's a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school. When Thorne hires Dash, it's lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what's between them is more than physical.

Old Loyalty, New Love

When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants - his bodyguard by his side and in his bed.

Tams (TTC Books and more) says:"Fantastic start to a new Shifter series!"

Mine

Trevan Bean has a job that's going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend's estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry's going to have it if it kills him! It just might.

Lay It Down

Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn't such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn't one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.

Tams (TTC Books and more) says:"Well written story - Narration - not so much"

Fighting Instinct: L'Ange, Book 2

Only a privileged few know L'Ange's head of security, Arman de Soto, is a shifter, and even fewer know he's been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the chateau's overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman's reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don't mix, but Arman won't give him up.

Drawn Together

Rory's just a simple southern boy from St. Antoine's Parish, Louisiana, but he knows what he wants - the girl of his dreams, reclusive and mysterious artist Ran Yamane. He's loved her since junior high school, and now he has the chance to meet her. He chucks everything and travels 1,500 miles to Anime Expo in Long Beach just so he can tell her. He's determined that nothing and nobody are going to stand in his way. Turns out, Ran Yamane isn't a girl, but he gets that a lot.

After the Sunset

Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he's being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.

Fish out of Water

PI Jackson Rivers grew up on the mean streets of Del Paso Heights and he doesn't trust cops, even though he was one. When the man he thinks of as his brother is accused of killing a police officer in an obviously doctored crime, Jackson will move heaven and earth to keep Kaden and his family safe.

Out of Nowhere: Middle of Somewhere, Book 2

The only thing in Colin Mulligan's life that makes sense is taking cars apart and putting them back together. In the auto shop where he works with his father and brothers, he tries to get through the day without having a panic attack or flying into a rage. Drinking helps. So does running and lifting weights until he can hardly stand. But none of it can change the fact that he's gay, a secret he has kept from everyone.

Cop Out: Toronto Tales, Book 1

Detective Kurt O'Donnell is used to digging up other people's secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had. His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality.

Fish Stick Fridays

Deacon Reid was born bad to the bone with no intention of changing. A lifetime of law-bending and living on the edge suits him just fine, until his baby sister dies and he finds himself raising her little girl. Staring down a family history of bad decisions and reaped consequences, Deacon cashes in everything he owns, purchases an auto shop in Half Moon Bay, and takes his niece, Zig, far away from the drug dens and murderous streets they grew up on.

Frog

Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.

Absinthe of Malice

When Crossroads Gin hits the road, Damien hopes it will draw them closer together. There's something magical about being on tour, especially when traveling in a van with no roadies, managers, or lovers to act as a buffer. The band is already close, but Damien knows they can be more brothers of sorts, bound not only by familial ties but by their intense love for music.

A Kind of Romance

Zeke Gulden is a ruthless Wall Street exec. His hard-edged, no-nonsense attitude has served him well in the cutthroat business world, but less so in his personal life. When he finds out his ex-boyfriend cheated on him with a coworker, Zeke can't let go until he finds a way to get even. However, his meddlesome father has other ideas. The new hire at the family-owned bagel store is somewhat colorful, but his dad is sure he's the perfect man for Zeke.

Publisher's Summary

Three years ago, Jory Harcourt changed his name and shut the door on a past full of pain, only to emerge stronger on the other side. He has a new career, a great working partner, and a satisfying life - except for the hole in his chest left behind when police Detective Sam Kage walked out with his heart.

Now Sam's back and he knows what he wants... and what he wants is Jory. Jory, who doesn't know if he can survive another breakup or losing Sam to his dangerous job, resists returning to the arms of the only man he has ever truly loved. But when a serial killer with a score to settle targets Jory, he will have to decide if love is worth the danger as he tries to solve the case and keep Sam safe.

There was just something about this series that I just did not like and I could not put my finger on it. I read and reviewed Volume 1 (Books #1-2) giving it a three rating for the story. I just completed Volume 2 (Books #3-4) and somewhere towards the end of book 3 I figured out what it was that I was having a problem with...I do not identify with the dominate/submissive relationship between Sam and Jory. Attempting to identify with the characters allows the reader to fully enjoy the tale that is being told and I just could not. I kept saying, if I was Jory...geez the expletives that spewed forth from my mouth! Now I will say that I did enjoy book four the most. Jory's escapades and his attempt at mystery solving was rather enjoyable (if not a bit far fetched) and the conversations between Dane and Jory were rather comical. I was a bit confused that Mary Calmes did not expound on Jory and Sam's union but rather chose to end the tale with anothers wedding and petty jealousy. I have book 5 left, but I will wait a while before I read it. I need a break from Jory and Sam. I would recommend, if for no other reason than I like Mary Calmes story telling.

I'd read the four books back when it was published by Club Lighthouse Publishing then bought the edited Dreamspinner version. 5 stars all the way but it was Paul Morey's narration that truly brought this series to life for me.

His interpretation of Det. Sam Kage is brilliant and the rest of the story is narrated with expression and just the right pacing but audiobook fans will know what I mean.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and no. I love Calme's books, but her dialogue is infuriating.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Calmes again?

Not sure. When I read her books, I love the concept's but her dialogues are so juvenile. Here you have mature grown men going through difficult situation but then the dialogue does not reflect what just happened. It is painful to listen to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The way Jory goes from one thought to the next and when people don't keep up with him it can be hilarious. Laughed out loud several times during vol. 1 & 2.

I want to start by saying I really love Mary Calmes books. I did however have a few things that got to me by the end and could just be my own pet peeves. 1 - I understood by the first volume that EVERYONE loves Jory and all the men want to sleep with him or be with him. This seemed so overdone that I started cringing when it still continued in this book. She also repeatedly goes over this with his brother Dane as well as Sam but Jory is focused on the most. Really? No one is LOVED by all. If you follow the series - these are NOT stand alone books so the author should not be repeatedly going over the stuff in the first volume and I see this is a pattern that is to continue in Bulletproof which I am listening to now. 2 - I usually find the endearment "baby" a total turn on till Sam used it so much that it lost the effect. 3 - Jory has consistently through both volumes tried to remain friends with guys that want to still be in his bed. HELLO???? If they still want to be in your bed then they don't see you as just a friend and Jory comes across clueless is this regard. On the upside he has a quick wit, charming personality and I love the fact that his filter is usually turned off and says what he thinks. That is refreshing.

Paul Morey nailed Jory's personality perfectly. The voices were very distinguisable. I am in awe. I've listened to a few other books where the voices sounded put on and almost cartoonish. Not so here. It really sounded like different people were narrating. The book itself was excellent and I am a big fan of Mary Calmes, especially this series which continues with Bulletproof.

I have never been just as freaked out and scared like the character in a book like I was when Jory was scream while he staked out the house of his very own kidnappers in this book. OMG! While he screamed, I screamed... OMG! This was the best squeal I have ever listen too. I loved it. I was sooo utterly pissed at Sam for leaving Jory in book 1 but, I am kinda glad he did now, b/c Jory is just so super Funny now and so much stronger.

The drama, kidnapping and danger Jory gets into is just crazy, but how Jory gets out of it is just re-donk-u-lus! Like how Jory gets kidnapped, then the kidnappers get car jacked with Jory in the back of the car... OMG! I laughed so hard I almost pee my pants. Best Squeal Ever. And the SMEX! HOT!

Narration was great. Paul did a great job with this book to bring out Jory's strength and growth in his personality from Sam leaving him. It totally shows. And the totally ironic scenes, like when the kidnappers get car jacked... OMG! If Paul didn't narrate that right... that scene would have bombed... but Paul did it sooo great.. and I really felt like Jory was a real person talking to me. I LOVED IT! AMAZING>!!!

A Matter Of Time kept me riveted like I haven't been in a long while. I couldn't stop listening. The author took me on a roller coaster of personal emotion. Every twist and turn kept me wanting more. The performance was excellent and engaging. Overall, a great listen on a long road trip. Well Done.

Perhaps it's the dominant/submissive thing with both being strong yet vulnerable men...I honestly don't know...I am onto the next one...Mary, you definitely need to get Paul back though...he set the stage and although the narrator for Book 5 isn't a bad narrator, he's not doing what Paul did with the characters...Dear Listener...I haven't got the slightest idea why, but I think once you're in Jory and Sam's lives, you'll want to find out how it all plays out...well, at least I do..and still, don't have the slightest idea why...

The book was good, all but at the end. I didn't for one minute think that excluding Jory out of the wedding and his extended family was ok. It was actually disrespectful and all because of the brothers wife? Really. I'm extremely disappointed to read the last chapter. Sam was feeding food with another woman, taking sexually suggestive photos, getting a lap dance and Jory just had to go with the flow. Wow!! Not cool. Then the mother in law says it's ok you two make a wonderful couple...yeah lady what if it was your husband acting as if he wasn't married all because others wouldn't understand or except it. That was crap and truly upsetting as a reader. As someone who invested time into this book and the relationship. Then at the end Sam just says oh stop you know I love you. Yeah she was hot but I like you better?? WTF...

As I mentioned in the review for Volume 1 - I have listened to this entire series multiple times since originally purchasing it. That is my best recommendation of a book ... when I want to go back and revisit, wallow, escape into it for a while.

The characters definitely evolve over the arch of the series - learn about each other, themselves, and where they want to fit in the world. I like watching some of the flailing, trial and error and farcical nature of some of their interactions. I *finally* genuinely fell in love with Sam ... and forgave Jory some of his hubris.

I enjoy the many layers and rich cast of characters in this world. I get that it slows the pace of the story and can at times feel like "filler" and distraction ... but ultimately it is that richness of world that makes me enjoy going back and listening over and over.

Volume 2 is as good as the first volume with the same whit and pathos - the characters are developing nicely and you feel like spending time with old friends. Paul Morey continues to breathe life into the characterisations.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

elly gausden

London, United Kingdom

6/30/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Finished, but it was a bit of a struggle"

Firstly, I know it's escapist fiction. And the main character wants to be 'dominated' but this book really does step over the edge in places where repeated 'no' is ignored. And, yes, I've read other stories where people change their mind in the heat of passion, but this made me really, really uncomfortable in places. If you've ever had an emotionally manipulative partner then this book isn't for you as you'll be hoping that Jory just walks away and tells Sam where to go.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.